Pacific & Orient Berhad's (KLSE:P&O) stock is up by 8.7% over the past three months. Given its impressive performance, we decided to study the company's key financial indicators as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. In this article, we decided to focus on Pacific & Orient Berhad's ROE.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors’ money. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits.

See our latest analysis for Pacific & Orient Berhad

How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Pacific & Orient Berhad is:

12% = RM56m ÷ RM472m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2022).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. That means that for every MYR1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated MYR0.12 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features.

A Side By Side comparison of Pacific & Orient Berhad's Earnings Growth And 12% ROE

To begin with, Pacific & Orient Berhad seems to have a respectable ROE. Even when compared to the industry average of 11% the company's ROE looks quite decent. This certainly adds some context to Pacific & Orient Berhad's exceptional 72% net income growth seen over the past five years. We reckon that there could also be other factors at play here. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place.

As a next step, we compared Pacific & Orient Berhad's net income growth with the industry, and pleasingly, we found that the growth seen by the company is higher than the average industry growth of 4.0%.

Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Is Pacific & Orient Berhad fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is Pacific & Orient Berhad Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

Pacific & Orient Berhad's LTM (or last twelve month) payout ratio is a pretty moderate 48%, meaning the company retains 52% of its income. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the high growth we discussed above, it looks like Pacific & Orient Berhad is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.

Moreover, Pacific & Orient Berhad is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of paying a dividend for at least ten years.

Conclusion

In total, we are pretty happy with Pacific & Orient Berhad's performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. If the company continues to grow its earnings the way it has, that could have a positive impact on its share price given how earnings per share influence long-term share prices. Not to forget, share price outcomes are also dependent on the potential risks a company may face. So it is important for investors to be aware of the risks involved in the business. You can see the 3 risks we have identified for Pacific & Orient Berhad by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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